A WALKING club which has survived a world war, two large-scale foot-and-mouth strikes and two major recessions is celebrating a landmark anniversary.

Darlington CHA & HF Rambling Club will recreate its very first walk, which took place 75 years ago, hiking 17 miles from Darlington to Richmond on Sunday, June 12.

About 60 club members are expected to take part in the event, which will finish with tea at the same Richmond pub the 1936 inaugural walk went to for refreshments - although the establishment has undergone a change of name from The Turk's Head Hotel to The Town Hall Inn.

The ramble will take in Croft-on-Tees, Middleton Tyas, Scotch Corner, Sedbury Park, Gilling Grange and Askhall on the way.

Some members, who are unable to manage the full 17 miles, will meet the group at Middleton Tyas and walk the rest of the way with them.

Others are meeting the group for tea at Richmond.

As well as the walk, which has been brought forward from the exact anniversary of October 29 because of concerns about daylight and weather, the club are holding an anniversary dinner at Rockliffe Hall, in Hurworth, near Darlington on October 28.

A display detailing the club's history will also be on show in the window of bank Northern Rock, in Darlington's High Row, for the week of the anniversary.

Club member and keen walker Bill Golightly, from Middleton St George, has written a book to mark the club's anniversary and helped to organise the anniversary celebrations.

"We are very much looking forward to it," he said. "I was expecting about 30 or so people to take part, but we are up to 60, which is great.

"I am sure there will be a lot of differences between our walk and the one in 1936 - I expect Scotch Corner was not quite the racetrack then that it is now, but we have tried to stick to the route as much as possible.

"I am sure it will be a wonderful walk. Obviously the weather we can't control, but it will be a lovely day."